seery



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. I'. SEERY. APPARATUS POR RBMOVING SNOW FROM ROAD BEDS.

W/TNE SSE S cams crans co., moro-mnu 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. P. SEBRY.

Patented Oct. 6,1891'.

NVENTOH, 2% y BY .j/'Zum ATTORNEYS En. i

1HE mams ranas co., mumnfuo., wAswmofon, n. c.

(No Model.)

APPARATUS FOB. REMDVING SNOW FROM ROAD BEDS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES F. SEERY, OF KINGSBRIDGE, ASSIGNOR VOF ONE-HALF TO DAVID C.ANDRFVS, OF NET YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SNOW FROM ROAD-BEDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,893, dated October6, 1891.

Application filed June 19, 1891.

To all whom it 71mg/ concer/t:

Be it known that I, JAMES F. SEERY, of Kingsbridge, in the county andState of New York, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus forRemoving Snow from Road-Beds, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

My invention relates to an apparatus for clearing railway-tracks androad-beds of snow. The apparatus consists of rotary brushes arranged soas to sweep the snow upon heated pipes or into a heated chamber, andsnow that may be piled upon the pipes being carried along by auxiliarybrushes and distributed over the lower pipes or thrown in engagementwith pipes located above the lower coils. The snow thus treated isconverted into heated water, which, falling upon the road-beds ortracks, will effectually dispose of any snow which may have escaped thebrushes. The en tire arrangement of the brushes, pipes, heaters, dac.,is connected with or mounted upon a traveling platform or car.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in both the views.

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the apparatus, beingtaken, practically, on the line 1 1 of Fig. .5, and Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section through the apparatus, the section being takenpractically on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

A truck 10, of any suitable or approved construction, is provided withaxles 11, said axles being adapted to carry supportingwheels 12, whichwheels may be flanged for traveling upon a track, or shaped astractionwheelsJ if in practice it is so desired. rlhe front end of thetruck is carried downward at an inclination to within a short distanceof the surface over which the truck is to travel; and the forward end ofthe truck, forming the lower portion of its inclined surface, ispreferably beveled from the center to form two angular front surfaces 13and 14.

At each side of the front portion of the Serial No. 396,831. (No model.)

truck a hanger 15 is secured in any suitable or approved manner, and ahanger 16 is located at the forward central portion of the inclinedsection of the truck, as is best shown in Fig. 2: the latter beingordinarily made somewhat T-shaped.

In the hangers 15 and 16 the trunnions of brushes 17 are held torevolve. The brushes are two in number and are adapted to feed the snowfrom the street or surface over which the truck is passing upon theinclined portion or front of the truck. The brushes are arranged one thelength of and parallel with the inclined surface 13 of the truck and theother in front of the inclined surface 14. These brushes are preferablycircular in cross-section and may be driven in anywell-known manner.Ordinarily, however, the outer trunnions of the brushes are providedwith sprocket-wheels 1S, and the front axle 11 has secured thereon neareach end a largersprocketwheel 19. The sprocket-wheels 19 of the axleand the wheels 18 upon the trunnions of the feed-brushes are connectedby chain belts 20, which belts are preferably made to pass over idlers21, as is best shown in Fig. 2. Thus as the apparatus is carried forwardthe feedbrushes 17 are given a continuous rotary motion.

Upon the inclined surface or front portion of the truck aheating-chamber A is located, which extends some distance back from thefront. This chamber is preferably constructed by supporting a ooringorhorizontal partition 22 some distance above the floor 23 proper of thetruck, the supports being at`- forded by side vertical partitions 21, asshown in Fig. 1. The. said vertical partitions preferably may be' madeto fiare outward at their outer extremities,

Vithin the chamber A, upon the floor thereof, a -coil of pipe 25 islocated. This coil of pipe preferably extends the entire length of thechamber, the forward ends of the coils being Hush, or essentially so,with the forward lower end of the truck, as shown in Fig. 2. Other coilsof pipe 2G are located within the chamber A, and are secured in anysuitable or approved manner to the upper partition or floor 22.

Upon the upper floor or partition 22 a conie and 29.

partment 27 is erected in any approved manner, as'is best shown in Fig.1, and in this compartment heaters 28 and 29 are located, preferablywater-heaters of any suitable type, and within the compartment adistributingpump 30 is also located. The pump has connection with asuitable tank 31 and with two receivers 32 and 33. The upper coil ofpipe 26 is connected with the heater 29, and the lower coil of pipe 25with the heater 28, and the receiver 32 is connected by branch pipes 33and 34, respectively, with the heaters 2S Both the lower land uppercoils of pipe are connected directly with the receiver 32.

A discharge-pipe 35 is located beneath the truck and connected with thechamber A, which pipe is adapted to carry off the melted snow anddistribute it upon the ground over which the car passes.

One or more (preferably two) distributingbrushes 36 and 37 are held torevolve transverselywithin the chamber A in engagement with the lowercoil 25. The trunnions of these brushes are mounted to turn in suitablebearings. The forward brush is preferably provided with a sprocket-wheel37 at one end and the rear brush with sprocketwheels 38 and 39, onewheel being located at each extremity. The rear brush 37 is drivendirectly from the axle 11 through the medium of a belt 40, passing overthe sprocketwheel 39, and the forward brush is driven by a b elt 41,passing over the sprocket-Wheel 38 of the rear brush and the wheel ofthe forward brush. 'i

The circulating-pump 30 may be driven through the medium of an eccentric4:2 and a link connection between the rear axle and the pump, as shownAin Fig. 1. It will thus be observed that the distributing-brushesinsurean equal distribution of the snow within the heating-chamber andelfectually prevent the snow fed to the chamber from stopping near thefront end of the truck, thus overloading that portion thereof.

In' operation the snow is fed from the street or surface over which theapparatus is i traveling by the feed-brushes 17 and delivered by saidbrushes into the heating-chamber and in .engagement with the heatedcoils of pipe. The said snow, as heretofore described, is distributedWithin the chamber and is melted by contact with the heated coils. Thehot water into which the snow is converted passes downward from thechamber it may be taken from the tank 3l, the connecv.

tion between the said tank and pump being provided with suitable valves.

It is evident that snow may in this manner..

be expeditiously and conveniently removed from a road-bed or othersurface, and that the implement will at all times act correctly andpositively, and, further, that as the snow melts the water or productsof condensation will escape from the apparatus into the street or uponthe road-bed, causing any snow which may have escaped the brushes to bemelted.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to` secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a machine for`removing snow from road-beds, thecombination, with a car having a downwardly-inclined end,ofheating-coils carried by said end and brushes held to rotate in front ofthe inclined end and adapted to convey the snow from the road-bed to thecoils, as and for the purpose specified.. i

2. In a machine for removing snow from road-beds, the combinatiom'with acar having an inclined end and a heated chamber 1 0- cated at said endand extending rearwardly therefrom, of delivery-brushes held to rotateat the forward portionof the inclined end, carrying the snow from theroad-bed into the chamber, and distributing -brushes located within thechamber, as and for the purpose specified. y

3. In a machine for removing snow from road-beds, the combination, witha car, a-

chamber' constructed upon the car, and heating agents carried by the carand connecting with the chamber, of brushes held to revolve in front ofthe car and adapt-ed to convey the snow from the road-bed into saidchamber, distributing-brushes located within the chamber, and a drivingmechanism connected with the brushes and actuated by the movement of thecar, as and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES F. SEERY. IVitnesses:

W. S. Gnonssncx, D. C. ANDREWS.

IOO

